Rose Namajunas vs Zhang Weili Rumored For UFC 268

The first bout between Namajunas and Weili was held in April at UFC 261 where Namajunas would win via head kick in the opening minutes of the fight. Going into it, the first fight was touted as one of the greatest women’s matchups in UFC history and after such a quick finish, many fans have been demanding a rematch.

Rose Namajunas vs. Weili Zhang: The Rematch

Rose Namajunas (10-4, 8-3 UFC) or “Thug Rose” as she is often called is an absolute fan favorite and that was proven true in her last bout against Weili where all fight week long, the crowd would roar if she was present. A large part of Namajunas’s popularity comes from her candor and openness when talking outside of the octagon. After losing her title in devastating fashion to Jessica Andrade, fans would sympathize drastically with her after hearing quotes from Namajunas about the relief of pressure that came with not holding a title.

With that being said, nobody in this sport will win over the fans if they do not show out in the cage. Namajunas’s unique footwork, vicious power, and sensational Jiu-Jitsu make her an electrifying fighter every night out. This varying skill set has led to a pair of highlight wins over legend Joanna Jedrzejczyk and a redemption win over Andrade. None more spectacular than her most recent KO of Weili where she seemingly threw the most perfect kick possible.

In November, Namajunas will look to continue the momentum taken from her most previous title win and build herself as a legitimate UFC superstar. If she continues to be active like this, the sky is the limit for her outside and inside the octagon.

Zhang Weili (21-2, 5-1 UFC) was touted as the name that would reign over the strawweight division for the foreseeable future. Her pressure heavy style, incredible power, and a well-rounded skillset overall have made her an absolute puzzle for her opponents. Going into her most recent fight, Weili had won 21 straight fights after losing her professional MMA debut. Many fans and analysts saw no path to victory for anyone in the division against such a well-rounded and physically strong martial artist.

What it took to derail this impressive streak was as mentioned before, the absolute perfect kick from one of the best fighters in Namajunas. After Weili’s devastating loss in April, the MMA community rallied around her and quickly called for a rematch given the quick ending. Many also supported her after the brutal treatment she was given by the crowd at UFC 261, but I digress.

If Weili can come back and win against an opponent like Namajunas, she will be right back on track as one of the UFC’s best. Since the last fight was so close, it is so hard to predict how either of these fighters will look but one thing is for sure, they will not disappoint.

UFC 268 Overview

UFC 268 is stacking up to be one of the best cards in recent memory. While many of them haven’t been officially confirmed, here is a list of the tentatively scheduled flights as well as rumored ones:

Booked Fights (Tentatively):

• Welterweight Bout: Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
• Lightweight Bout: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler
• Middleweight Bout: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Nassourdine Imavov
• Middleweight Bout: Luke Rockhold vs. Sean Strickland

Rumored Fights:

• Strawweight Bout: Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili
• Bantamweight Bout: Sean O’Malley vs. Frankie Edgar

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